Inspiration to others

ami Christian Academy’s Annie Ravuna with students at her school. Picture: SUPPLIED

Growing up as a young girl from a broken family, Annie Ravuna didn’t have much opportunities for a better education.

But decades later, the 40-year-old single mother is now a living testimony of how one woman who had gone through bad experiences in life could be an inspiration to others.

Ms Ravuna is the managing director for Lami Christian Academy which consists of 32 preschoolers and kindergarten students.

Her elder sister, Titilia Turner was the founder of the school.

Ms Ravuna was handed the ownership of the school when her elder sister moved back to the US about six years ago.

Initially, the school provided free education to about seven preschool students in Bilo, Veisari in 2005.

However, a year later it was moved to its location in Isa Lei St, Lami where the school roll increased to 97 students.

“I was lost when my elder sister informed me that I was going to manage the school,” Ms Ravuna said.

The soft spoken Ms Ravuna said she always had a passion for children and it was through the school that her love for children grew even stronger.

“Growing up with my siblings we didn’t have the privileges of getting a good education and we were even taken to court to choose whom we should love because our parents were getting divorced, we used to be looked down upon and sometimes degrading words were usually thrown at us,” she said.

Despite what her family went through, Ms Ravuna said she also believed that her success was the culmination of her late mother’s devotion to God.

“My late mother was a prayer warrior, one who will intercede in prayers for her children.

“I thank God for putting me in this place where I am able to give the love to children, the love we didn’t experience growing up with my siblings.

“Through this, God has taught me to always remain humble and to reach out to children that are suffering, to be comforted in times of chaos,” she said.

Meanwhile, over the past 14 years a total of 1500 kindergarten and preschoolers were educated at the school.